The economic returns of ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat

Ten-year health impact, economic impact and return on investment of the South African molecular diagnostics programme for HIV, tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2

INTRODUCTION

To ensure there is adequate investment into diagnostics, an understanding of the magnitude of impact and return on investment is necessary. We, therefore, sought to understand the health and economic impacts of the molecular diagnostic programme in South Africa, to deepen the understanding of the broad value of diagnostics and guide future healthcare investments.

METHODS

We calculated the 10-year (where data were available) total cost and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) averted associated with molecular testing for tuberculosis diagnosis (2013-2022), HIV viral load monitoring (2013-2022), early infant diagnosis of HIV infection (2013-2022) and SARS-CoV-2 testing (2020-2022), based on the actual number of molecular tests conducted in South Africa for the respective time periods. We then calculated the economic value associated with those health gains and subsequent return on investment.

RESULTS

Since the inception of the molecular diagnostics programme in South Africa, approximately 4.3 million DALYs (uncertainty range (UR): 2.8-5.8 million) have been averted as a direct consequence of this programme. This has generated an estimated US$28.3 billion in economic value due to these health gains (UR$18.4-UR$38.7 billion). The return on investment varied by specific diagnostic test (20.3 (UR 15.2-25.4) for tuberculosis, 7.7 (UR 1.6-13.9) for HIV viral load testing, 63.0 (UR 63.0-65.5) for early infant diagnosis of HIV and 2.5 (UR 0.7-4.6) for SARS-CoV-2), for an average of 13.9 (UR 9.0-18.9) for the entire molecular diagnostics programme or US$13.9 of value for each UR$1 invested.

CONCLUSIONS

The molecular diagnostics programme in South Africa generated a significant amount of health gains and economic value associated with these health gains. The return on investment rivals other high-impact public health interventions such as childhood vaccination. The molecular diagnostics programme in South Africa is highly impactful and will continue to be an excellent investment in South African public health expenditure.

Relationship between self-efficacy and adherence to antiretroviral therapy in HIV/AIDS patients: An analytical cross-sectional study in southern Iran

Background and Aims

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, also known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is spreading rapidly in the world, especially in developing countries, and is considered a serious health threat. This study aimed to assess the relationship of adherence antiretroviral therapy (ART) and self-efficacy among people living with HIV.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in March-July 2022 at the Center for Behavioral Diseases in Bandar Abbas. A total number of 208 HIV patients treated with ART entered the study after voluntarily signing an informed letter of consent. The data collection instrument was the adherence to ART questionnaire with the six subscales and the General Self-Efficacy Scale-17 (GSE-17) general self-efficacy questionnaire. Multivariate regression analysis was used to test the relationship among the variables.

Results

The participants' mean age was 41.7 ± 8.2 years. Self-efficacy was positively correlated with adherence ART. With every one score of increased self-efficacy, MA increased for 0.85 score (p < 0.001) and medical challenges have the strongest correlation (r = 0.27) with self-efficacy. The multivariable regression analysis showed that moderate and high socioeconomic status (SES) each improved MA for 18 and 22 units, respectively, compared to poor SES. Alcohol consumption reduced MA for 11 units.

Conclusion

This study proved the positive relationship of self-efficacy in adherence to ART in HIV patients. The insights offered by this research can help develop a systematic and effective intervention to promote MA in HIV patients. SES and alcohol consumption significantly affect MA.

Contributions of declining mortality, overall and from HIV, TB and malaria, to reduced health inequality and inequity across countries

The objective to reduce global health inequalities and inequities is integral to the global development agenda, from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the sustainable development goals and the ongoing response to coronavirus disease. Yet, summary measures of global health gains or of the cost-effectiveness of global health programmes barely capture how well they improve the lives of the most disadvantaged populations. This paper instead explores the distribution of global health gains across countries and the implications for health inequality and inequity (here referring to health disadvantages that reinforce economic disadvantage, and vice versa) across countries. Specifically, it studies the distribution of gains in life expectancy across countries (overall and owing to reduced mortality from HIV, TB and malaria), using the Gini index and a concentration index ranking countries by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita as indicators of health inequality and inequity. By these counts, global inequality in life expectancy across countries declined by one-third between 2002 and 2019. Reduced mortality from HIV, TB and malaria accounted for one-half of this decline. Fifteen countries in sub-Saharan Africa, containing 5% of the global population, accounted for 40% of the global decline in inequality, with nearly six-tenth of this contribution coming from HIV, TB and malaria. Inequity in life expectancy across countries declined by nearly 37%, with a contribution from HIV, TB and malaria of 39% of this gain. Our findings show how simple indicators on the distribution of health gains across countries usefully complement aggregate measures of global health gains and underscore their positive contribution to the global development agenda.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Japan

BACKGROUND

While global efforts have been made to prevent transmission of HIV, the epidemic persists. Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk of infection. Despite evidence of its cost-effectiveness in other jurisdictions, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for MSM is neither approved nor reimbursed in Japan.

METHOD

The cost-effectiveness analysis compared the use of once daily PrEP versus no PrEP among MSM over a 30-year time horizon from a national healthcare perspective. Epidemiological estimates for each of the 47 prefectures informed the model. Costs included HIV/AIDS treatment, HIV and testing for sexually transmitted infections, monitoring tests and consults, and hospitalization costs. Analyses included health and cost outcomes, as well as the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) reported as the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for all of Japan and each prefecture. Sensitivity analyses were performed.

FINDINGS

The estimated proportion of HIV infections prevented with the use of PrEP ranged from 48% to 69% across Japan, over the time horizon. Cost savings due to lower monitoring costs and general medical costs were observed. Assuming 100% coverage, for Japan overall, daily use of PrEP costs less and was more effective; daily use of PrEP was cost-effective at a willingness to pay threshold of ¥5,000,000 per QALY in 32 of the 47 prefectures. Sensitivity analyses found that the ICER was most sensitive to the cost of PrEP.

INTERPRETATION

Compared to no PrEP use, once daily PrEP is a cost-effective strategy in Japanese MSM, reducing the clinical and economic burden associated with HIV.

Estimating the welfare gains from anti-retroviral therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Since the start of the century, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have experienced large gains in life expectancy and average consumption levels. Around the same time, an unprecedented international effort has taken place to combat HIV/AIDS mortality with the expansion of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) across many of the hardest hit countries. In this paper, I estimate the impact of ART on average welfare over time in 42 countries using the equivalent consumption approach. I decompose the change in welfare to isolate the relative contribution of ART-driven improvements in life expectancy and consumption. The results indicate that ART has accounted for around 12% of total welfare growth in SSA between 2000 and 2017. In those countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, this figure rises to around 40%. Moreover, the estimates suggest that welfare in some of the worst-hit countries would have declined over time without the ART expansion.

Uptake and correlates of cervical cancer screening among women attending a community-based multi-disease health campaign in Kenya

INTRODUCTION

Despite the increased risk of cervical cancer among HIV-positive women, many HIV-care programs do not offer integrated cervical cancer screening. Incorporating self-collected Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing into HIV programs is a potential strategy to identify women at higher risk for cervical cancer while leveraging the staffing, infrastructure and referral systems for existing services. Community-based HIV and HPV testing has been effective and efficient when offered in single-disease settings.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted within a community outreach and multi-disease screening campaigns organized by the Family AIDS Care and Education Services in Kisumu County, Kenya. In addition to HIV testing, the campaigns provided screening for TB, malaria, hypertension, diabetes, and referrals for voluntary medical male circumcision. After these services, women aged 25-65 were offered self-collected HPV testing. Rates and predictors of cervical cancer screening uptake and of HPV positivity were analyzed using tabular analysis and Fisher's Exact Test. Logistic regression was performed to explore multivariate associations with screening uptake.

RESULTS

Among the 2016 women of screening age who attended the outreach campaigns, 749 women (35.6%) were screened, and 134 women (18.7%) were HPV-positive. In bivariate analysis, women who had no children (p < 0.01), who were not pregnant (p < 0.01), who were using contraceptives (p < 0.01), who had sex without using condoms (p < 0.05), and who were encouraged by a family member other than their spouse (p < 0.01), were more likely to undergo screening. On multivariable analysis, characteristics associated with higher screening uptake included: women aged 45-54 (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.05-2.52) compared to women aged 25-34; no children (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.06-2.56); and family support other than their spouse (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.09-2.16). Women who were pregnant were 0.44 times (95% CI 0.25-0.76) less likely to get screened. Bivariate analyses with participant characteristics and HPV positivity found that women who screened HPV-positive were more likely to be HIV-positive (p < 0.001) and single (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The low screening uptake may be attributed to implementation challenges including long waiting times for service at the campaign and delays in procuring HPV test kits. However, given the potential benefits of integrating HPV testing into HIV outreach campaigns, these challenges should be examined to develop more effective multi-disease outreach interventions.

Barriers Preventing Access by Men who have Sex with Men to HIV-related health services in Southeast Asia: A Scoping Review

The objective of this scoping review was to identify and describe barriers experienced by men who have sex with men (MSM) when accessing HIV-related health care in Southeast Asia. A systematic search identified thirteen papers, which were full text reviewed and data extracted. An intersection of stigma and discrimination, fear and shame, cultural norms and societal expectations coalesce to influence the ability, either physically through lack of service provision or emotionally through personal restraint, of MSM to access HIV-related health services. Many of the factors continuing to drive the ongoing HIV epidemic across the Southeast Asia region have humanitarian origin - access to safe and non-discriminatory healthcare, education on sexual health, and not being persecuted for having a health condition. These must be addressed with an interdisciplinary response at local, government and regional level.

DATA-driven shock impact of COVID-19 on the market financial system

The Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19) has a dramatic effect on my country's market and financial system. Although China has controlled the deterioration of the epidemic, this global epidemic will inevitably have an impact on the global economy including China. In order to study the shock effect of the COVID-19 on the market financial system, this paper builds a data model processing system based on the event analysis method, and analyzes the shock effect from three aspects of supply chain finance, financial securities, and corporate financial systems. Moreover, this paper uses crawler technology to obtain valid data from major websites, analyzes model data with mathematical statistics combined with event models, and outputs the results and compares them with the actual situation. Through data analysis, it can be seen that the model constructed in this paper can effectively reflect the shock effect of the COVID-19 on the market financial system. Finally, the comparison method is used to compare the research results with the actual situation. The results show that the two are basically the same. Therefore, it can be seen that the proposed research method has significant effects and has certain reference value for studying the shock effect of the epidemic on the financial system.

Getting resources to those who need them: the evidence we need to budget for underserved populations in sub-Saharan Africa

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, many countries have adopted evidence-based budgeting (EBB) to encourage the best use of limited and decreasing HIV resources. The lack of data and evidence for hard to reach, marginalized and vulnerable populations could cause EBB to further disadvantage those who are already underserved and who carry a disproportionate HIV burden (USDB). We outline the critical data required to use EBB to support USDB people in the context of the generalized epidemics of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

DISCUSSION

To be considered in an EBB cycle, an intervention needs at a minimum to have an estimate of a) the average cost, typically per recipient of the intervention; b) the effectiveness of the intervention and c) the size of the intervention target population. The methods commonly used for general populations are not sufficient for generating valid estimates for USDB populations. USDB populations may require additional resources to learn about, access, and/or successfully participate in an intervention, increasing the cost per recipient. USDB populations may experience different health outcomes and/or other benefits than in general populations, influencing the effectiveness of the interventions. Finally, USDB population size estimation is critical for accurate programming but is difficult to obtain with almost no national estimates for countries in SSA. We explain these limitations and make recommendations for addressing them.

CONCLUSIONS

EBB is a strong tool to achieve efficient allocation of resources, but in SSA the evidence necessary for USDB populations may be lacking. Rather than excluding USDB populations from the budgeting process, more should be invested in understanding the needs of these populations.

HIV-associated tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV. HIV-associated TB disproportionally affects African countries, particularly vulnerable groups at risk for both TB and HIV. Currently available TB diagnostics perform poorly in people living with HIV; however, new diagnostics such as Xpert Ultra and lateral flow urine lipoarabinomannan assays can greatly facilitate diagnosis of TB in people living with HIV. TB preventive treatment has been underutilized despite its proven benefits independent of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Shorter regimens using rifapentine can support increased availability and scale-up. Mortality is high in people with HIV-associated TB, and timely initiation of ART is critical. Programs should provide decentralized and integrated TB and HIV care in settings with high burden of both diseases to improve access to services that diagnose TB and HIV as early as possible. The new prevention and diagnosis tools recently recommended by WHO offer an immense opportunity to advance our fight against HIV-associated TB. They should be made widely available and scaled up rapidly supported by adequate funding with robust monitoring of the uptake to advance global TB elimination.

HIV/AIDS treatment funding system to support the people affected by HIV/AIDS in Surakarta, Indonesia

People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA's) quality of life (QoL) is determined by the lifetime treatment sustainability. Republic of Indonesia Minister of Health's Decree Number 328 of 2003 stated that government subsidies the PLWHA's medication and treatment, despite not covering entire medication and treatment cost. The objective of research was to analyse the cost assumed by PLWHA in accessing HIV/AIDS treatment service in Surakarta, Indonesia. The target group in this case study was PLWHAs, and related stakeholders of medical treatment in one of Public Health Centers and a Public Hospital in Surakarta; AIDS Commission of Surakarta City; Solo Plus Peer Support Group and AIDS-Care NGO selected purposively. Data collection was carried out using observation, in-depth interview, and documentation. Method and data source triangulations were used to validate data that was then analysed using Grossman's Demand for Health Capital theory. The result of research showed that the sources of HIV/AIDS treatment cost were self-income, Social Insurance Administration Organization (BPJS) fund and Local Government subsidy. Admission and physican services are given for free to PLWHA because it has been paid by BPJS Fund or has been subsidied by Local Government. Otherwise, they should pay registration cost of IDR 50,000, in Public Hospital and IDR 75,000 in Private Hospital. Physician service costs IDR 50,000–IDR 200,000. VCT Counsellor costs IDR 35,000-IDR 150,000. Non-Subsidy ARV costs IDR 687,000. 1 bottle containing 60 TB meningitis drug capsules costs IDR 145,000 for 10–20 d use and maximally IDR 210,000, while herpes drug costs IDR 295,000. CD4 examination costs IDR 126,000-IDR 297,000, RNA Viral load IDR 1,275,000–IDR 1,471,000, Haematology IDR 60,000-IRD 90,000, Cholesterol and triglyceride IDR 100,000-IDR 250,000, and SGOT/SGPT IDR 100,000–IDR 200,000. There is monthly non-medical cost the patient should spend, including transportation cost to go to health centre, and food, beverage, and newspaper cost while waiting for the service. BPJS fund and local government subsidy relieved health economic burden of PLWHAs, so that the average HIV/AIDS treatment cost in PLWHAs was relatively low, less than 10% of expense. National Insurance System including BPJS fund and local government subsidy as the answer to the integration of HIV/AIDS treatment funding management into national insurance system had provided PLWHA a funding access involving prevention, care, support, and treatment, and mitigated the effect despite less optimum.

Twenty Years Of Antiretroviral Therapy For People Living With HIV: Global Costs, Health Achievements, Economic Benefits

Since the introduction of azidothymidine in 1987, significant improvements in treatment for people living with HIV have yielded substantial improvements in global health as a result of the unique benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART averted 9.5 million deaths worldwide in 1995-2015, with global economic benefits of $1.05 trillion. For every $1 spent on ART, $3.50 in benefits accrued globally. If treatment scale-up achieves the global 90-90-90 targets of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, a total of 34.9 million deaths are projected to be averted between 1995 and 2030. Approximately 40.2 million new HIV infections could also be averted by ART, and economic gains could reach $4.02 trillion in 2030. Having provided ART to 19.5 million people represents a major human achievement. However, 15.2 million infected people are currently not receiving treatment, which represents a significant lost opportunity. Further treatment scale-up could yield even greater health and economic benefits.

Using information on ART costs and benefits to mobilise resources - comparing different methods and contexts

Sustaining HIV and AIDS responses depends on a mix of donor, government and private funders. Their decisions about investing in HIV treatment may be informed by various types of economic evaluations, which may be more or less useful for different contexts. This paper benchmarks methods against each other. Epidemiological and demographic impacts of HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART) from 1996-2015 were quantified using country- specific spectrum files. The study compared societal benefits of ART using the full income (FI) methodology with "conventional" benefit, utility and effectiveness estimates produced with the same data. The FI estimates suggested $3.50 in benefits per dollar spent on ART globally, 2.6 times larger than productivity-related measures of benefits, of $1.33 in benefits per dollar. Higher benefit-cost ratios are mainly because FI reflects value of life beyond what people produce at work and in non-working age groups, and allocates the future stream of benefits in the year that death is avoided. ART costs were 0.78 times per capita GDP per quality-adjusted life-years gained globally. FI benefit-cost ratios are considerably higher in upper- and lower-middle-income countries than in low- or high-income countries. Productivity-based benefits also exceeded costs in all but one region but had smaller ratios and different regional patterns. Per capita GDP per quality-adjusted life-years ratios were below 1.2 for all regions and country income bands, suggesting cost effectiveness. The fact that FI returns of ART are higher than productivity returns, helps to quantify developmental benefits of interventions that directly extend life and its quality, arguably the objective of development. They provide an important argument to increase budget allocations to health sectors for ART scale-up, and not just reallocate existing health resources. Benchmarking FI returns against cost per quality- adjusted life-years may allow comparison to other "cost effective" health interventions. However, caution should be taken in extrapolations between measures, because they produce different rankings across country categories.